Awards for Young Jewish Leaders Making a Difference in Their Communities

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards are seeking nominations of exceptional Jewish teens leading meaningful community service and social change initiatives. Now entering its 12th year, the national award annually recognizes up to 15 Jewish teens with $36,000 each towards their project or education. Up to five teens from California and ten from across the United States will be recognized for their humanitarian efforts.

Teachers, Civic Leaders, Rabbis—anyone interested in nominating a teen, or any teen interested in applying—can visit www.dillerteenawards.org to begin the nomination/application process. The deadline for nominations is December 18, 2017 and the deadline for applications is January 8, 2018. Self-identified Jewish teens who are 13 to 19 years old on January 8, 2018 are eligible. Teens who have applied in the past are also eligible to reapply.

Since its inception in 2007, the program has awarded over $3 million to 99 teens in recognition of their vision, compassion, innovation, and demonstrated ability to lead.

“Nominating a teen for the Tikkun Olam Awards is a wonderful opportunity for educators, civic leaders, and teen mentors across the country to recognize young Jewish leaders who are creating meaningful change at home and across the globe,” says Jackie Safier, Helen Diller’s daughter and President of the Helen Diller Family Foundation. “We hope the Awards encourage and catalyze a generation of Jewish teens in their ambitious work to repair the world.”

Previous awardees have taken on projects that address concerns as diverse as homelessness, rare diseases, food insecurity, social and economic inequalities, and education gaps. They have also been recognized by some of the world’s foremost institutions and leaders, including the United Nations Foundation, the White House, the Clinton Global Initiative, Forbes 30 Under 30, the Jefferson Awards, CNN Heroes, and the Nickelodeon HALO Awards.

Beyond bolstering national recognition of the teens and their projects, the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards foster a growing network of award recipient alumni collaborating on leadership, innovation, and volunteer service across the nation.

For questions, contact dillerteenaward@sfjcf.org or (415) 512-6432. The deadline for nominations is December 18, 2017 and the deadline for applications is January 8, 2018.